In electro-static discharge (ESD) circuits, a desirable design for ESD releasing path can make the ESD circuit flow along a predetermined path such that the safety and the reliability of the operation of the chip are ensured. During a design of the ESD path, transmission line pulse (TLP) data of the chip may be obtained first, and the obtained TLP data may then be used to analyze the ESD path in the chip.
In the case that the analysis result, based on the TLP data of the chip, of the ESD path is inconsistent with the expectation, it is difficult to position an abnormal ESD path within the chip. Therefore, analyzing the ESD path in the chip based on the TLP data may not meet the requirements for analyzing the cause of the ESD path failure in the chip.
For example, when the result of the ESD path obtained by analyzing the TLP data is inconsistent with the expectation, the analysis of the TLP data may only be able to provide one electrical parameter, i.e., the corresponding sustaining point. Because various electrical structures can generate a same sustaining point, it is difficult to precisely determine which electrical structure generates the sustaining point. Therefore, the position of the abnormal ESD path may not be precisely determined. As a result, subsequent analysis of the ESD path failure in the chip cannot be processed.
The disclosed ESD path detection methods and apparatus thereof are directed to solve one or more problems set forth above and other problems in the art.